windows and Bobba Neale gave himself a black eye when he ran into a porch post trying to get away.”
“Hey, not my fault if you guys had a guilty conscience. Did I arrest anyone? Did I take anyone away? Nope. All I did was warn you to keep it down and to remember that it was against the law to be driving and drinking. Did I comment on the pyramid of beer cans in the middle of the living room floor? Which, by the way, was pretty impressive.”
She smiled at the memory. “Yeah, it was.”
“All kidding aside, how long are you going to be around?”
Briefly, Shelly explained her decision to return to Oak Valley for good. Jeb was pleased.
“I'm glad. You belong here. The ranch needs you. The community will be glad to have you back.” He hesitated, let out a long breath, and said, “The past few years, Josh didn't seem to care much about what happened in the valley.”
Staring at the shiny badge on his khaki shirt, she asked quietly, “Were you one of the deputies called to the scene?”
He sighed. “Yes, I was. I'm not stationed here anymore—I'm a detective these days, working out of the Willits substation. One of the reasons I was called to the scene. Don't see many violent deaths up here, but it's almost always someone I know. Never thought it would be Josh.”
“I know. One of the hardest things for me to deal with has been that he committed suicide. I still have trouble believing it.” There was just the faintest change in Jeb's expression, but she was on it in a flash. “It
was
suicide? No doubt about it?”
“That's what the coroner put on the death certificate,” he replied in that neutral tone of so many law enforcement officers.
“You didn't answer my question,” Shelly persisted, her eyes searching his.
Jeb sighed, pushed back his hat. “I didn't see anything at the scene that raised alarm bells, but like you, I knew Josh and suicide just didn't do it for me. Besides…”
“Besides?”
“Oh, dammit, sweetheart, I don't want to put ideas in your head or fill you with a lot of conjecture, but you might as well hear it from me as someone else.” Jeb took a deep breath. “The last couple of years Josh was running with a bad crowd—pot growers, and not your home-garden variety either—the big guys—the guys who fund some of the little growers.” Jeb paused, putting his thoughts in order. “Josh,” he said eventually, “had always been a gambler, you know that, but about five years ago, with all the Indian casinos springing up all over the place, he really got into it. Lots of people from the valley saw him all over the place and carried back gossip of some big wins…and losses.” He made a face. “You know the valley. You can't spit without everyone noticing and a half dozen people saying that it's raining—people notice and they talk and they don't always get their stories straight. Anyway, the nearest casino is outside of Willits on 20—they're scattered all up and down every major highway in the state. Hell, there's one north of Ukiah and a big one over in Lake County and of course, a lot of people from the valley enjoy a night out and the chance maybe to win a little cash.” He smiled. “You know how it is—you can't leave the valley without running into someone from the valley—even as far away as Santa Rosa. And it wasn't like Josh was trying to hide it. He didn't. But my point is that just a few weeks before he started hanging out with the unsavory types, rumor had it that he'd taken some hard hits. Lost a
lot
of money. It could have been a coincidence that right after that, he and Milo Scott and Ben Williams are suddenly the best of friends.” Jeb grimaced. “I'm better acquainted with that pair of vermin than I'd like to be—the two of them are behind just about every dope deal in northern California, and when Josh started being seen around in their company…well, I'll confess it made me wonder.”
Shelly frowned. “You mean, you think they might have lent
“Hey, not my fault if you guys had a guilty conscience. Did I arrest anyone? Did I take anyone away? Nope. All I did was warn you to keep it down and to remember that it was against the law to be driving and drinking. Did I comment on the pyramid of beer cans in the middle of the living room floor? Which, by the way, was pretty impressive.”
She smiled at the memory. “Yeah, it was.”
“All kidding aside, how long are you going to be around?”
Briefly, Shelly explained her decision to return to Oak Valley for good. Jeb was pleased.
“I'm glad. You belong here. The ranch needs you. The community will be glad to have you back.” He hesitated, let out a long breath, and said, “The past few years, Josh didn't seem to care much about what happened in the valley.”
Staring at the shiny badge on his khaki shirt, she asked quietly, “Were you one of the deputies called to the scene?”
He sighed. “Yes, I was. I'm not stationed here anymore—I'm a detective these days, working out of the Willits substation. One of the reasons I was called to the scene. Don't see many violent deaths up here, but it's almost always someone I know. Never thought it would be Josh.”
“I know. One of the hardest things for me to deal with has been that he committed suicide. I still have trouble believing it.” There was just the faintest change in Jeb's expression, but she was on it in a flash. “It
was
suicide? No doubt about it?”
“That's what the coroner put on the death certificate,” he replied in that neutral tone of so many law enforcement officers.
“You didn't answer my question,” Shelly persisted, her eyes searching his.
Jeb sighed, pushed back his hat. “I didn't see anything at the scene that raised alarm bells, but like you, I knew Josh and suicide just didn't do it for me. Besides…”
“Besides?”
“Oh, dammit, sweetheart, I don't want to put ideas in your head or fill you with a lot of conjecture, but you might as well hear it from me as someone else.” Jeb took a deep breath. “The last couple of years Josh was running with a bad crowd—pot growers, and not your home-garden variety either—the big guys—the guys who fund some of the little growers.” Jeb paused, putting his thoughts in order. “Josh,” he said eventually, “had always been a gambler, you know that, but about five years ago, with all the Indian casinos springing up all over the place, he really got into it. Lots of people from the valley saw him all over the place and carried back gossip of some big wins…and losses.” He made a face. “You know the valley. You can't spit without everyone noticing and a half dozen people saying that it's raining—people notice and they talk and they don't always get their stories straight. Anyway, the nearest casino is outside of Willits on 20—they're scattered all up and down every major highway in the state. Hell, there's one north of Ukiah and a big one over in Lake County and of course, a lot of people from the valley enjoy a night out and the chance maybe to win a little cash.” He smiled. “You know how it is—you can't leave the valley without running into someone from the valley—even as far away as Santa Rosa. And it wasn't like Josh was trying to hide it. He didn't. But my point is that just a few weeks before he started hanging out with the unsavory types, rumor had it that he'd taken some hard hits. Lost a
lot
of money. It could have been a coincidence that right after that, he and Milo Scott and Ben Williams are suddenly the best of friends.” Jeb grimaced. “I'm better acquainted with that pair of vermin than I'd like to be—the two of them are behind just about every dope deal in northern California, and when Josh started being seen around in their company…well, I'll confess it made me wonder.”
Shelly frowned. “You mean, you think they might have lent
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